Sparrow, Always

The Sparrow Series

by Gail Donovan, Elysia Case (illustrator)

In this heartwarming companion to Sparrow Being Sparrow and Sparrow Spreads Her Wings, Sparrow wants to help the guide-dog-in-training next door pass his test but soon finds she may be the one in need of help when she has difficulty staying on task in school.

Yellow daffodils and dandelions are blooming, and a new neighbor is moving into the unit next door to Sparrow’s, along with a service-dog-in-training named Toby. Sparrow soon falls in love with Toby and gets involved with helping him pass his service dog test. In fact, she gets so obsessed with learning about service dogs that she can’t focus on what she’s supposed to be doing in school, and soon Toby’s not the only one who needs to worry about getting tested.

Now Sparrow has to meet with the school social worker alongside some kids in “friendship group,” even though she doesn’t need any new friends. Sparrow is used to being the one to help others, but she’s having more and more trouble staying on task in class; and if she messes up too many times in school, she won’t be able to walk Toby anymore. Can she be the Sparrow she’s always been if she’s not the helper but the one being helped?

160 pages, Hardcover

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

Gail Donovan was fired from her first job in an ice cream shop for making the sundaes too big. She now works in a library and writes middle grade novels, including IN MEMORY OF GORFMAN T. FROG, named to the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list; FINCHOSAURUS, winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award; as well as the trilogy SPARROW BEING SPARROW (Publishers Weekly, starred review), SPARROW SPREADS HER WINGS (Maine Literary Award winner for Young People's Literature), and SPARROW, ALWAYS. She has also written for the Rainbow Fish & Friends picture book series based on the bestselling work of Marcus Pfister. Donovan lives on the coast of Maine, where she jumps in the ocean all year round.

Reviews

[Jeanne Stadel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this early middle grade novel, Sparrow finds dealing with the expectations of her teacher and classroom rules challenging. Naturally effervescent, she often has difficulty conforming to classroom rules and completing assignments in exactly the manner required by her teacher or the school setting. Her world is expanded when a guide dog puppy raiser moves into other half of her family’s duplex. To be allowed to spend more time with Toby (the guide dog) and help him prepare for his guide dog test, Sparrow must work hard to meet behavioral expectations, both at school and at home, a true challenge when her kind and exuberant spirit often pulls her in another direction. I found Sparrow very engaging and believe this book will speak to others who, like her, sometimes have difficulty fitting into the constraints of a traditional classroom.